Disc Reviews

Who would have thought that a movie that features the apocalypse and mass suicide would have moments of charm and levity? I mean, when you think of those type of themes, you don’t expect that you are going to have some laughs. And yet somehow Silent Night pulls it off. Part of that probably had to do with high-class talent that took part of the film, which featured Matthew Goode, Keira Knightly, Annabelle Wallis, Lily Rose Depp, and Lucy Punch. The film lulls you into a bit of a false sense of security; I initially thought that Goode’s and Knightly’s characters were going to turn homicidal and murder all their dear friends. I figured that was the central premise of the film. All in all I think I prefer the film as it is instead of that idea. While that might have been interesting to see, it would have made the film more of a one-trick pony. As it is, Silent Night is witty, funny, and still manages to tackle complex philosophical views in an easily comprehensible manner. That is a feat not easily accomplished.

As it is, Silent Night follows Nell (Knightly) and Simon (Goode) as they prepare to host their annual holiday dinner at their country estate with a group of their dear friends. Nothing appears out of the norm. In fact, everything seems perfect. Except for one thing: everyone is going to die. Yes, you read that correctly; I said everyone is going to die.

This 1974 film has previously been regarded as an Italian version of the widely successful American supernatural film, The Exorcist. It’s been suggesting that The Antichrist was an attempt to cash in on some of the success that the American film experienced a year earlier. After watching it, I don’t see why the two films can’t coexist. Whether or not the American film had any bearing on this one will never be determined, but it stands to reason that if you enjoyed that one, there is no reason that you won’t enjoy this as well. I suppose there is the risk of it feeling redundant, but a little redundancy has never bothered me. Besides, if you can’t deal with films with similar premises and themes, your lists of viewing pleasure is going to shrink exponentially. I won’t spend a lot of time comparing the two films for couple of reasons: one, I believe that would be doing this film a disservice, given that I found it mildly entertaining; and two, it’s quite some time since I watched to The Exorcist, so my memory of it is slightly foggy. That said, I believe that will give me an objective view of The Antichrist, because I won’t waste undue time with comparisons.

The film follows Ippolita, the adult daughter of a wealthy Italian aristocrat, who has been paralyzed since she was 12 years old following a car accident that also killed her mother. Having severe attachment issues, she falls into a depression after learning that her father has become involved with another woman. Accustomed to monopolizing her father’s time, Ipploita does not take the news of the relationship well. Meanwhile, despite the decade old accident that left her wheelchair bound, there appears to be no medical reason for her paralysis. Suspecting her condition is psychosomatic, the family consults an expert who attempts regression therapy in an effort to cure her. However, the therapy opens her up to something else. Something far more sinister in nature.

Remakes are nothing new. They've been around for as long as there have been films. Today we appear to be dominated by the remake, but they've been around forever. There are many reasons to do a remake. Often, like the case of Peter Jackson's King Kong and the recent Kong/Godzilla movies, it's because technology has taken us to a place where we can do things on the screen that the original filmmakers couldn't have dreamed of. Other times it's merely a classic story that stands the test of time, and every once in a while someone wants to attach themselves to that history. Yet other times there's more that can be added to the story, or there is a fresh perspective to what came before. While many of these types lead to sequels and reboots, they still lead to the remake. Then there are those remakes that are almost a shot-for-shot imitation of the original with no apparent reason to exist other than to capitalize on the name. I really don't want to put the 1997 made-for-television remake of 12 Angry Men in that category. We're talking about a respected director who has directed a classic of his own and a very powerful cast of actors. But when you strip away that star power, you're left with pretty much an exact duplicate with only surface changes. 12 Angry Men (1997) is a pretty good film; don't get me wrong. But the original was a great film, and this version adds nothing to the story or the experience.

The story is pretty much the same, and that's mainly due to the fact that the screenplay was written by Reginald Rose based on the screenplay he wrote in 1957 for the original film. It's an iconic story by now. We witness the end of a murder trial where the jurors are given their final instructions and led into the room where they will deliberate. After taking an initial count, we quickly discover that 11 of the jurors believe the defendant is guilty, and there is one lone holdout for not guilty. Tensions boil over as many thought they'd be in and out. Eventually the lone juror turns the rest around, and the verdict is not guilty. In the 1957 film Henry Fonda plays Juror # 8, the original lone holdout. This version gives us Jack Lemmon in a performance that netted him a Golden Globes nomination. The two films have so much in common, and the biggest element is that both sport incredible casts. Juror # 1 Courtney B. Vance (1997) / Martin Balsam (1957), Juror # 2 Ossie Davis (1997) / John Fiedler (1957), Juror # 3 George C. Scott (1997) / Lee J. Cobb (1957), Juror # 4 Armin Mueller-Sahl (1997) / E.G. Marshall (1957), Juror # 5 Dorian Harewood (1997) / Jack Klugman (1957, Juror # 6 James Gandolfini (1997) / Edward Binns (1957), Juror # 7 Tony Danza (1997) / Jack Warden, Juror # 9 Hune Cronyn (1997) / Joseph Sweeney (1957), Juror #10 Mylelti Williamson (1997) / Ed Begley (1957), Juror # 11 Edward James Olmos (1997) / George Voskovec (1957) / Juror # 12 William Petersen (1997) / Robert Weber (1957). As you can see, these are both great casts. Both sport great performances, but the question remains, why?

“At present your home is not safe, even when you are there. So protect yourselves. Be sure to have good locks, good security systems.  I’m addition, you might consider getting a watchdog. And I’m not necessarily talking about a large dog. Any dog that can bark will make a good watchdog.”

Well, this dog does a lot more than bark in this 1979 family-friendly comedy. Standing for “Canine HOMe Protection System,” C.H.O.M.P.S. is the story of a young inventor who creates a revolutionary home security system that is as cute as it is effective: a robotic dog that is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. Given that he modeled the robot after his actual pet, that creates a couple of funny hijinks later on in the film, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. The film stars Wesley Eure, an actor popular for his starring roles in family-friendly entertainment that includes Land of the Lost, Finders Keepers, and the educational television series, Dragon Tales. Eure also does us the honor of formally introducing us to the film in the opening moments. Joining Eure is Valerie Bertinelli of One Day at a Time fame, as well as the TV Land network staple Hot in Cleveland, which also starred the recently departed Betty White (R.I.P.).

It’s amazing how a pretty face can get you act against your better instincts. Letting someone you just met, a complete stranger, move into your house and giving access to your top-of-the-line security system. Yeah, that is not something that happens unless the person is breathtakingly beautiful. Incidentally, Lily Krug fits that description to a tee. She is a knockout beauty without question. However, looks alone wouldn’t have been enough, given the dark turn her character was destined to take; there had to be some malice behind those eyes. She had to have the eyes of a heartless and calculating sociopath. Did she deliver? Let’s just say, whenever I see her in future roles, even if she is playing a protagonist, it’s going to be hard not to see the predator that I know is lurking behind her eyes.

Shattered follows tech millionaire Chris Decker (Cameron Monaghan), a recent divorcee, who after selling his company has withdrawn from the world. He dedicated his life to his company, so much so that he prioritized it over his family, leading to his subsequent divorce. Now without it, he finds it difficult to let go of the things he pushed aside in favor of his work, i.e. his marriage and his relationship with his daughter. However, according to his soon-to-be ex-wife (Sasha Luss), he needs to move on. Almost as if on cue, enter Sky (Lily Krug), a captivating and disarmingly charming woman he has a chance meeting with in a supermarket. The attraction is instantaneous, and after an accident leaves Chris injured and in need of full-time care, Sky steps in to play nurse.